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The Scottsdale architectural firm of Candelaria Design Associates is one of the premier luxury residential architecture firms in the country. Enjoy our blog which features our work, our travel, our recipes, wines, tips on design and decorating, and the lives of our clients and employees, etc.....its all the ingredients for the Candelaria Design Lifestyle. Contact Candelaria Design to start your dream residence 602-604-2001!

Well by my lack of blogging I guess you can tell we’re
getting busier! I’m still cautiously optimistic that this blip in activity will
take hold and possibly the ship is slowly turning in the right direction despite
some of our politicians best efforts to sink the ship.

We have been blessed with some wonderful new projects
consisting of a number of new homes both here in Arizona, as well as California
and Idaho and many renovations and remodels. We are also seeing a lot of our
good friends from Canada and we are really enjoying working with them. So
hopefully, the pendulum is starting to swing back in the positive direction.
It’s amazing how far the pendulum swung both ways over the last ten years. It
would sure be nice to see some slow, steady growth without the mass exuberance
in one direction or the utter despair in the other.

Interior framing details on house underway in
Silverleaf

New Home under construction on Hayden Lake, ID

PR & Press

In terms of Candelaria Design, there are some great things
happening! We have had several projects published in the last few months
including the cover feature in the June 2011 issue of Phoenix Home &
Garden Magazine. This project spearheaded
by Project Manager, Lisa Mallas Matthews, features an amazing renovation /
remodel of a tract home in McCormick Ranch into and eclectic Old World casa
showcasing the amazing antiques and treasures collected through the years by
our client. I love this project and especially the clients we worked with – I
have worked with them for years on a number of projects and they are truly
amazing people. I was then excited to see the project featured again in the
September issue and once again it made the cover!

LEED Certifications

Zona Verde Residence, Paradise Valley

We also have received LEED Certification on two of our
projects both constructed by Desert Star Construction http://www.desertstarconstruction.com/
. The first is the El Chorro Renovation in Paradise Valley which received a
Gold Certification and is the first restaurant in Arizona to receive a LEED
certification. Then the Zona Verde Residence which consisted of several
structures, the Main Residence is Certified LEED, the Guest House received
Gold, and the Caretaker’s home received Platinum. Furthermore, both projects
have now been awarded finalists in the National Gold Nugget Awards for 2011 and
we ultimately received the 2011National
Gold Nugget Grand Award for the Zona Verde
Residence for the Best Custom Home over 6500 sf. Great job by Project
Architect, Jeffrey Kramer, AIA on both of these projects along with Vallone
Design, http://www.vallonedesign.com/
Berghoff Design http://www.berghoffdesign.com/ and Creative Designs in Lighting http://www.cdltg.com.

El Chorro

Team CDA

Speaking of my staff, I am so proud of how my team has stuck
together during these trying times in our industry. The national unemployment
rate for architects reached a peak of 70% during this recession. I am proud to
say we are still a ten person firm with what I am sure is the best, most
qualified team out there. Three members have been with me over ten years and everyone
has been with me at least if not close to five years. I’m also fortunate to
have a very capable and hard working administrative support team including
Evelyn Jung, who runs the show, Meara McHugh Perrin – who runs the front desk and is
handling our marketing, and Dianne Kleber who is our utility player and does
whatever we need to help get the job done! All of us are committed to our adage
of “Inspiring Excellence”.

I also want to congratulate my associate, Braden
Santarcangelo and his new wife Linda Giordano on the birth of their new little
girl who came into the world on September 8th. We are very happy for them and wish
them all the best.

Italy Trip 2012

Villa Piazzano - Tuscany

Brunch at Villa Piazzano - Candelaria Design Italy Trip

The Candelaria Design Italy Trip is a go for 2012! We have
had great interest thanks to our Candelaria Design Italy Trip 2010 Facebook
Page (800 fans and counting) and we are excited for our 9th trip
which will depart Phoenix on May 30, 2012 and return on June 12th. See our
Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design-Italy-Trip-2010/415280225531?ref=mf
for more details on the cost and itinerary. Prior blog postings also go into
more detail from our 2010 Trip. I’m taking 12-14 travelers and I know this will
fill up fast – so call Meara and book your reservation. We will have a great
group going, and in addition to Florence, Tuscany and Umbria, we will be
hitting the coast and Portofino. I
am looking forward to the adventure once again.

Wrap Up

Hope's Window and Door Factory
Jamestown. NY

Speaking of traveling, in June made a trip to Jamestown, New
York and the Hope’s Window and Door Company, http://www.hopeswindows.com/hopes.shtml to learn more about their product and review
several projects we have underway with them. It was a very informative trip
coordinated by our good friends at Sienna Custom Windows and Doors http://www.siennacustom.com/
. Later that same month I was off to visit the Crittal Window and Door Company,
http://www.crittall-windows.co.uk/ in the UK to check out their product
along with my client and builder, John Schultz of Schultz Development Company, http://www.schultzdevelopment.org/
. This was a wonderful trip coordinated by our friends at Roadrunner Glass http://www.roadrunnerglassco.com/
. As they say, its all in the details and when striving for a great look and
unique finish there is only one way to do it and that’s to engage the entire
team in the process including the vendors and craftsmen executing the work. I
love this process and the pride everyone brings to the table.

Crittal Window & Door Co. - England

South bank of the Thames - London

Well that’s the latest. So be looking for more blogs, more updates, and
more postings. Plenty brewing and some wonderful projects on the boards and
under construction – we thank you ALL for the support and referrals and thanks
for following us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candelaria-Design/147697373192